Improvement in burning hydrocarbons



0. T. EAHLE.

Burning Hydro-Carbnns.

Patented Feb.16,1875.

W/T/ESSES THE GRAPHIC C0.PMOT0.LITH,39&41 PARK PLAOEJLY.

'rares IMPROVEMENT IN VBURNING HVDROCARBONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 159,751, dated FebruaryI6, 1375; application led August 8, 1874.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR T. EARLE, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in BurningHydrocarbons; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilledin the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a vertical section through line .9c x of Fig. 2, and Fig. 2a bottom view.

It haslon g been amatter of greatimportance to inventors and others todiscover a suitable means by which the immense quantities of pe troleum,naphtha, and asphalt can be used as fuel. rlhe cheapuess of these fluidsand the great heat evolved by them when burned supply potent argumentsfor applying them to purposes for which more expensive combustibles,such as coal, wood, Ste., are now used, and especially to the generationof steam for mechanical purposes.

Heretofore, hydrocarbons have been burned as fuel, either by ignitingthem in a liquid state or vaporiziug them and mixing with steam and air,or by converting them into permanent gas. There have, however, beenpractical difticulties in carrying out any of these inventions, so thatup to the present time very little of the immense supplies of petroleum,naphtha, and asphaltare used as fuel. The difliculties are theregulating the supply of vapor when made directly from the oil, thekeeping a duc admixture of air or steam so as to effect perfectcombustion, the maintaining a constant but limited supply of oil nearthe burner so as to avoid danger from breaking of the apparatus, thegreat cost, and the inconvenient and cumbersome arrangements of parts ofthe apparatus heretofore designed for this purpose, and the destructionof the burner from the greatness of the heat produced.

By my invention these difficulties which have heretofore prevented thegeneral use of these cheap fuels are overcome. At a small cost I furnishan apparatus which combines in itself, in a compactform, a heater forthe feedwater of a boiler', which may also be used as a producer ofsuperheated steam to be used in burning the oils, a heater orsuperheater for a blast of air or steam, for combining with the burningvapors, anda ready, cheap, and portable burner or furnace. I prevent, bysurrounding the chamber in which the oils are burned with water, theburning or melting of the material of which it is made, and, by usingthis water as feed-water for a boiler, or by generating from it steam tobe superheated and combined with the burning hydrocarbons, I utilize allthe heat produced, and effect a great saving of the oil. I regulate bystopcocks the supplies of oil, and of the air or steam, so that thequantity of burning oil is easily and simply controlled, and a dueadmixture of air or superheated steam, to insure perfect combustion iseffected. The oil ioats upon water, through which a new supply isadmitted, and thus a constant though limited supply is furnished to theburner with butlittle danger should breakage occur.

The following description will enable those skilled in the art to makeand use my invention:

The apparatus consists of a central chamber, O, provided with pipes G,H, and F, an air or steam superheater, B, with inlet-pipe I, chamber J,and outlet-holes 7c la, and an outer chamber, E, with pipes L, M, and N,coil of pipe i i t having outlet-holes in the inner circle and crossedby a partition, K.

The operation is as follows: The burner having been placed in position,water is admitted into the chamber() by the pipe G, which serves also asan overflow-pipe to regulate the same. When the chamber is iilled to theoverflowpoint, the oil is admitted through the pipe H until a depth ofabout three inches lioats on the water. Vater is then admitted into theouter chamber E by the inlet-pipe L and iills it. The oil is now readyto be lighted. After lighting, a `jet of steam or air is turned on,which enters the chamber J by pipe I, where, if air, it becomes heated,if steam, superheated, and, rushing through openings 7c k in the wallsof the chamber J into or justover the oil-chamber, combines with theburning vapors of the hydrocarbons, producing an intense heat.

When used in connection with a steamboiler, the feed-water is admittedby pipe L, and, being compelled by the partition K across the chamber Eto pass entirely around the circumference of the oil-chamber C, andWhile it prevents the destruction of the Walls of the chamber 0 by theintense heat, becomes itself heated, and is conducted by the outlet-pipeM into the boiler almost at a steam heat.

Then used in moving bodies a sWash-plate, D, or device to prevent theliquid from spilling, is used.

When it is desired to burn hydrocarbons Without being connected with aboiler, as for heating in a forge, duc., the outlet-pipe M of chamber Eis closed. The chamber is kept iilled to the proper height through theinletpipe L. Airis forced through the pipe I, chamber J, and holes k 7c,as above. After the oil is lighted steam is generated in the chamber E,passes up through pipe N into the coil of pipe c' i t', and in passingthrough this coil becomes superheated. It escapes through holes in theinner circle of the coil, and unites with the burning vapors of thehydrocarbons. Water continually enters through the pipe L to supply theplace of that turned into steam, and thus a continual flow is produced,which cools the Walls of chamber C, and prevents their being burned ormelted, as does the dow of the feed-Water when a boiler is used inconnection. As soon as the generation of the steam has well set in, theair-blast, through pipe I, may be discontinued, or may be used, togetherwith the superheated steam, from the coil i i i.

A is the main shell of the burner. 'Iliepipe H, besides admitting theoil into the chamber C, is also used to empty the chamber. The pipe F isused to draw ott the heavier portions of the liquids after the lighterproducts have been consumed.

The invention does not consist in the special form of the apparatus, asthis will be varied to suit each special application, such as generatingsteam, smeltin g and heating metals, burning bricks, lime, pottery, andcement, roasting and reducing ores, tempering and annealing metals, andmelting glass, Warming buildings, distilling oils and spirits, and inevaporating sugar solutions, brine, and other liquids. A

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Surrounding the chamber in which hydrocarbons are burned by Water, soas to keep the Walls thereof cool, and prevent their being burned ormelted, as described.

2. The chamber E, with inlet-pipe L, outletpipe M, and partition K, tohohl the water for cooling and protecting the Walls of the burningchamber from being burned or melted, and also to serve as a feed-waterheater when used in connection with a boiler, as set forth.

3. The chamber E, with pipes L and N, and coil of pipe L i i, so as tokeep the Walls of the burning chamber cool, and to produce superheatedsteam, to be combined with the burning hydrocarbon vapors, as set forth.

4. The combination of a chamber for burning hydrocarbons, a feed-Waterheater, or superheatedsteam producer, and a heater for an air or steamblast, as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I affixed mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

OSCAR T. EARLE.

Witnesses:

XVM. H. MINNIX. Unas. J. HEDRICK.

